The Blims Lifestyle Group has brought to the country Gautier, an upscale French furniture brand that seeks to make its presence felt in the Philippines and the rest of the region.
Herve Soulard, export manager at Gautier France, said in a briefing yesterday the company saw the Philippines as an attractive location and with a ready market for its mid- to high-end dining, living, and bedroom furniture. The Philippines is also the first country in Southeast Asia where Gautier has signed an exclusive franchise agreement.
Soulard said it helped the family-run company was able to find a suitable partner in Blims, also a family-run business headed by franchise guru Samie Lim.
Sam Frederick Lim, Blims Lifestyle Group president, disclosed the company has invested P30 million to put up the first Gautier store at the Shangri-la Fort in Bonifacio Global City. The investment already included the franchise fees.
The target was for the Gautier store to hit at least P60 million in sales in its first year of operations.
The younger Lim said Blims would continue to be on the lookout for new locations for future Gautier branches. He said the company was prepared to spend about P20 million for each store, which should be about 300 square meters to 800 sqm big.
With over 100 outlets in France and across the globe, Gautier is a rarity among global brands because it chooses to maintain practically all of its manufacturing operations in its home country. Over 95 percent of the furniture sold in Gautier stores are manufactured in their French factories while the rest are produced in neighboring European countries.